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Meet Dan Lee: The Veteran Behind the New Farina Pasta Bar Food Truck Venture
An army veteran, Dan Lee, 30, has recently made headlines with the launch of his new food truck, the Farina Pasta Bar. The venture was made possible through the help of a nonprofit organization meant to serve as an incubator for food trucks, targeting military veterans and active-service spouses.
Dan Lee’s Military Service and New Found Passion
Lee’s journey towards the food industry started after his military service, which spanned through 2015. Serving in a 60-person bomb squad unit in Georgia, Lee emphasized the importance of the diversity in the military, stating, “You meet a lot of different people. It’s really diverse — you have to learn to work with all of them in different situations.”
The Birth of Farina Pasta Bar
While in the army, Lee discovered his love for cooking inspired by his mother, a former food scientist who taught him how to make pasta sauce from scratch. After leaving the army, he used his military benefits to pursue a culinary arts degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia. It was during his study abroad in Rome that Lee noticed the absence of fast-casual pasta options in the US which inspired the concept of Farina Pasta Bar.
“I realized there’s no fast-casual pasta [in the US] that’s made in-house,” said Lee. “That’s what I wanted to bring — this casual dining experience where you get fresh pasta, great sauce and it’s not going to cost you $30 a plate.”
The Journey of Farina Pasta Bar
Armed with his vision, Lee began his food career working various roles at restaurants, a pizzeria and a brewery, while supplementing his income by driving for DoorDash and Uber. His next venture was a food truck, which unfortunately ended in a $70,000 scam. This setback led him to explore “ghost kitchens”, an online-focused approach for restaurateurs.
Despite the initial setback, Lee’s resilience led him to a successful journey with the launch of his 200-square-foot kitchen in October 2020. He then expanded into opening a restaurant, Farina Pasta and Noodle, in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square in 2021.
Working with Let’s Chow
Lee’s enterprise caught the attention of Jordan Foley, the founder and CEO of Let’s Chow, a nonprofit organization that offers free education on running a food truck for military veterans and active-duty spouses. Let’s Chow’s program is self-paced and hands-on, designed to help budding entrepreneurs go from zero knowledge to running a sustainable business in the food truck industry.
Let’s Chow: Providing a Launchpad for Veteran Entrepreneurs
With a focus on tapping into the food truck industry as a business incubator for veterans, Let’s Chow has extended support to over 57 individuals across 20 businesses, and successfully launched five food trucks since they began in January 2020. Their approach involves providing a $1,500 stipend for each of the four learning phases, online and in-person training, and the use of resources such as marketing agencies, pro bono attorneys, accountants, and food photographers.
Farina Pasta Bar: The Future
Currently, Lee’s Farina Pasta Bar serves up mouth-watering Italian dishes like vodka sauce with gnocchi, pistachio pesto with spaghetti alla chitarra, and a variety of gelatos and sorbets. Many consider it a game-changer in the food truck industry, and Dan Lee credits much of his success to his military training, stating, “A lot of that discipline comes from the military.”
Expanding the Italian Horizons
With a mission-focused approach, Lee is looking forward to expanding his business nationally, with additional food trucks and presences on military bases, aiming to compete with fast-casual giants like Chipotle and Cava. Lee’s dream for Farina Pasta Bar takes inspiration from Frank Sinatra’s words, “If we can make it here in the Northeast, then we should be doing great everywhere else.”
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